Bottle capping mechanism



Aug 4, 1936- R. J. DANIELs y 2,049,761

BOTTLE CAPPING MECHANISM l 'l-l of Figure 1.

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Patented ug. 4, i936 ,BOTTLE CAMPING CHANHSM Ransom ll. Daniels, "e

testone, N. Y., assigner to American Seal-Kap Corporation, Long IslandCity, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application .lluly 29, 1933,Serial No. 682,812

. 11 Claims.

. This invention relates to mechanism for applying caps to bottles andmore particularly, though in its broader aspects not limited thereto, tothe application to milk' bottles of caps of the general type shown inthe Baum patent, No. 1,169,283, March l, 1927, for Bottle caps. Thisinvention may be embodied in capping mechanism of the hand operatedtype, or in a power operated mechanism such as is used in conjunctionwith bottle lling machines.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a better'and morepositive control of the capsv as they are taken successively from astack Y and applied in sealing relation to the bottles.

Further advantages will appear from a more complete description of anembodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which-Figures 1 and 2 are views partly in side elevation and partly brokenaway and in section showing a milk bottle capper of the hand operatedtype and showing a cap feeding mechanism in retracted and advancedpositions, respectively.

Figure 3 is a perspective of the cap feed plate.

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary views partly in section and showingsuccessive stages in the bottle capping operation.

Figure 6 is a transverse central section through the capping plungerhead on line 6 6 of Figure 4.-

Figure 7 is a section to a larger scale on line oppositely disposedpositions, at the upper ends of which on each side areA positioned pairsof outwardly extending ears 5, shown best in Figure '7. These ears areprovided with openings 6 within which are mounted plugs 1 which may turntherein. Each o'f these plugs is shown as provided with a screw-driverslot at its outer end andat its inner end with a perforation withinwhich extends an end of Ya pivot shaft 8. Each shaft extends through theshank portion 9 of a cap supporting platform lll, each platform beingthus pivotally mounted on the axis of a shaft 8 so that it may take aposition extending transversely of the axis `of the bore of the memberl, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or be moved downwardly into a recess ll,as shown in Figures 4 and 5. These platforms are normally held in theirupper cap-supporting positions, for this purpose 5 apair of torsionsprings l2 being shown. The intermediate portion of each of thesesprings l2 passes through a perforation i3 ln one of the shank portions9, is coiled around the shaft i2 and its ends are inserted inperforations M in 10 oppositely disposed plugs 6. By turning each plug'l with the aid of a screw-driver engaging in its slot, each end portionof the torsion spring may be tensioned to the proper degree and then theplug may be ilxed in adjusted angular posii5 tion by tightening a setscrew i5 thereagainst. Above the tubular member i is a tubular supportwhich is` secured to the member l as by screws passing through openingsl2i of mating flange portions on the members i and 2U.' Within the 20member 2U is reciprocably mounted a cap` applying plunger 25. As shownthis plunger is provided with a head 2t which presents the cap to -thebottle and a tubular actua-ting portion 2l secured to this head.

The member 2@ is provided with an upwardly extending sleeve portion 3@coaxial therewith -and through which the tubular member 2l of theplunger passes. The upper end of this portion 3U is closed 0E as by acap 3l through a central opening of which the member 2l passes andwithin this portion 3l) is positioned a coil spring 32. This springbears at its upper end against the lower face of the plug 3l and at itslower end against a. washer which is normally held 35 against the baseof the portion 30 by this spring. The portion 2l is rovided with a slot36 within which rides a crosspin 3l, thefends of which are supported inthe slotted extremities of a pair of arms 38 of bell crank levers 39.These bell crank levers are pivoted at opposite ends of a boss 40 shownas integral with the portion 30 and through which passes a pivot shaft4l. The opposite arms 42 of these bell crank levers are pivoted as at 43to a pair of links 44. which, in turn, are pivotallysecured at theirouter ends to a cap feed slide 45. This feed slide is mounted forreciprocation in a lateral extension of the member 20, which hasadjacent to the portion 20 a socket 54 for the reception of the lowerend of 50 a tubular casing 5I within which may be positioned a stackofcaps as indicatedat 52. 'Ihe feedfslide 45 is shown as provided with anarcuate forward end 55 which may engage with the lowest cap of the stackso that on reciprocation 55 26, as shown in dottedlines in Figure l andin full lines in Figure 2.

When the capping plunger'is raised, as by moving the tubular member 21upwardly, above the position shown in Figure 1, the cross pin 31 isengaged by the lower end of the slot 36 and is moved upwardly with themember 21, thus moving the feed slide from its retracted position shownin Figure 1 to its advanced position shown in Figure 2, which feeds acap 53 into position on the platforms I0 and beneath the plunger head26. As shown, the raising of this member 21 is accomplished by pullingupwardly on the handle 60 shown as secured to its upper end, though itshould be understood that this member may be raised by power when themechanism is applied to a. power operated lling and capping machine.yThe weight of the parts may be sufficient to vcause this feed actionwhen the entire mechanism is lifted by the handle 66, or a han-A dle 6|(see Figures 4 and 8) secured lto any suitable portion of the mechanismsupport may be grasped by one hand'to hold the support while the handle60 is grasped by the other and pulled upwardly. This upward motion ofthe member 21 acts to'tension the spring 32, the cross pin 31 engagingthe lower face of the washer 35 and moving it upwardly, as shown inFigure 3. The tubular member I may then be applied to the neck of abottle and the handle 6U allowed to descend, whereupon the spring 32pulls downwardly on the member 21 and retracts the feed slide 45, theplunger head 26 being then lowered into proximity with the cap 53. Onpressing the hanneck of a bottle and the handle 60 allowed to descendagainst the cap, further downward motion of the plunger being a lostmotion with respect to actuation of the feed slide, the cross pin 31riding in the slot 3 6. The actuation of the feed device, both infeeding and retracting, takes place during the motion of the cappingplunger within the upper portion of its stroke when .it is remote fromcap-applying position, and out of the way of the cap, and the retractionis accomplished regardless of the final extent of downward cappingmotion of the plunger.

When the cap mechanism is intended to apply caps of the generalconstruction shown in the Baum patent, to which reference has heretoforebeen made, the head 21 is provided in its lower face with an annularrecess 65 within which the pouring lip housing 66 (see Figure 4) of thecap may extend, this pouring lip housing being an annular generallyU-shaped marginal portion of the cap which in capping position fits overthe pouring lip 61 at the top oi the bottle, as lshown best in Figure 5,the central portion of the cap extending down into the mouth of thebottle and into contact with the usual annular ledge 68 therein. Y

As shown best in Figure 6, this capping head is provided with means forgrasping the cap so as to control its movement to setting position onthebottle. Referring to this figure and Figure 9, it will be seen thatthe head is provided with oppositely disposed marginal openings orrecesses 10 within which are positioned cap-grasping ngers 1I. They areshown as yieldingly pressed toward each other at their lower ends bymeans of a spring 12 which extends across the head through openings 13and has its ends engaged in perforations 14 and 15 in these fingers, The

upper ends of these fingers are rockingly held to the head as by meansof a pin 16 carried by each and engaging in an opening 11 in an upwardlyextending flange portion 18 of the capping head.

In order to retract the supporting platforms Iii ,into their recesses sothat the caps may be passed ure 5, the cap to be applied is grasped bythe fin-4 gers 1i of the plunger and the supporting platforms I0 areretracted so that the plunger with a cap carried thereby passes betweenthem and down into the capping position. Extension wings projectingupwardlyfrom the marginal portions of the capping head engage the facesof the platforms I0 and hold them in their retracted position, as shownin Figure 5, while the plunger is depressed, acting to cause them to beretained retracted as long as the lower or cap applying face of the headis below the level of the upper faces of these platforms. When' theplungerV is raised they are permitted to spring upwardly intocap-supporting position only'after the plunger has been retractedthereabove.

From 'the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention itshould be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made without departing from the Aspirit or scopeof this invention as defined by the appended claims.'

I claim:

1. In a bottle capping mechanism, a cap-applying plunger having acap-engaging face provided with an annular recess to receive a pouringlip housing portion of a bottle cap, said plunger having side recesses,and fingers positioned in said recesses and engageable with side wallportions of said pouring lip housing to retain a cap on said plunger.

2. In a bottle capping mechanism, a cap-applying plunger having acap-engaging face provided with an annular recess t'o receive a pouringlip housing portion of a bottle cap, said plunger having oppositelydisposed side recesses, fingers positioned in said recesses andengageable with side wall portions of said pouring -lip housing, and

tending through said aperture and joining saidl fingers for holding saidfingers in yielding engagement with said cap.

4. A bottle capping mechanism, comprising a tubular member within whichthe mouth of a bottle to be capped may he presented, downwardlyyieldable means on which a cap may be supported within said member abovesaid bottle mouth, and a plunger movable relative to the bottle forforcing said cap axially of said tubular member past said supportingmeans and seating 75 it on said bottle, said plunger having a portionengageable with said yielding meansand moving it out of cap-supportingposition during the capping motion.

5. A bottle capping mechanism, comprising a tubular member within whichthe mouth of a bottle to be capped may be presented, downwardlyyieldable .means on which a cap may be supported within said memberabove said bottle Imouth, a plunger movable relative to the bottle forforcing said cap axially of said tubular member past said yielding meansand seating it on said bottle, and means carried by said plunger forgrasping said cap.

6. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a tubular member within whichthe top of a bottle to be capped may be presented, a platform normallyextending transverse to the axis of said tubular member spaced from saidbottle top and yieldable theretoward, and upon which a cap to be appliedmay be supported, a cap-applying plunger movable axially within saidtubular member, means acting to move said plunger to press the capsupported on said platform toward said bottle past said platform and toapply said cap to said bottle, and means on said plunger lfor holdingsaid platform in yielded position while said plunger is in cap-pressingposition.

' 7. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a tubular member engageablewith a-bottle, a capapplying plunger reciprocable in said member fromand to capping position, a platform normally extending transverse to theaxis of said member for supporting a cap beneath said plungerpreparatory' to a capping movement thereof, said member having a pair ofspaced ears extending therefrom, and a slot between said ears into whichsaid platform may be retracted from the path of said plunger, saidplatform having a shank portion extended between said ears, a pair ofoppositely disposed plugs seated in openings in said ears, a pivot shaftcarried by said plugs and forming a pivotal axis for said shank portion,a

torsion spring surrounding said shaft and engaging said shank portionand having its ends inserted in openings in said plugs, and means forsecuring said plugs against rotation in said ears.

8. A bottle capping mechanism, comprising a tube within which the mouthof a bottle to be capped may be presented, a pair of platforms eachpivoted transverse to the axis of said tube and outwardly of the borethereof, means yieldingly holding said platforms extended toward eachother transverse to said axis so as together to form a support on whicha cap to be applied to said bottle may rest, a capping plunger movableaxially within said tube in position to force said cap downwardly andtilt said platforms to permit said cap to pass therebetween and to seatsaid cap on said bottle mouth, and means on said plunger for holdingsaid platform in yielded position while said plunger is in cap pressingposition.

9. A bottle capping mechanism, comprising a tube within which the mouthof a bottle to be capped may be presented, a-pair of platforms eachpivoted transverse to the axis of said tube and outwardly of the borethereof, means yieldingly holding said platforms extended toward eachother transverse to said axis so as together to form a support on whicha cap to be applied to said bottle may rest, and a capping plungermovable axially within said tube in position to force said capdownwardly and tilt said platforms to permit said cap to passtherebetween and to seat said cap on said bottle mouth, said plungerhaving portions engageable with said platforms and holding saidplatforms downwardly tilted whenever the lower face of said plunger isbelow the level of their cap-supporting faces.

10. In a capping mechanism, a tube for ennected to said plunger forpositively feeding a cap from said stack beneath said plunger by upwardmotion of said plunger from a position intermediate the ends of thestroke thereof, means for holding said cap beneath said plunger, meansyieldingly connecting said feeding means and plunger for retracting saidfeeding means on descent of said plunger to said intermediate positionabove said cap, and a yieldable mounting for said holding means topermit downward movement of said plunger from said intermediate positionto present and apply said cap to said bottle.

1l. A bottle capping mechanism comprising a member engageable with abottle adjacent to its top, a cap-applying plunger reciprocably carriedby said member, means carried by said member for holding a stack ofcaps, a device for feeding caps successively from said stack intocooperative relation to said plunger, a spring connection to saidplunger for retracting said device from capfeeding position, andconnections between said plunger and cap feeding device for actuatingsaid device to feed a cap on reciprocation of said plunger beyond anintermediate position and including lost motion from said intermediateposition to capping position of said plunger without effect on saiddevice.

RANSOM J. DANIELS.

